There is a seemingly endless list of activities performed at home, work, and in m any other environments that require the use of a ladder in order to allow its user to gain access to areas that otherwise would be inaccessible. However, as handy as ladders are, they are not without their disadvantages. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage is that they do not provide a work area or storage area for the person on the ladder. This requires the person to carry any tools or supplies needed for the task with them in either in their hands, pockets, or tool belt. This obviously compromises safety as the user must constantly remove and replace each tool.
Extension ladders also suffer from the fact that there is often very little frictional force created between ladders and the supporting structure, making it dangerous to climb upon them due to the ease at which the ladder can slide and fall over. Ladder standoffs have been developed in order to remedy this situation, however they are large bulky and require burdensome adjustment for each use.
Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which the safety of extension ladders can be enhanced with regard to a safe work platform and standoff capability in order to address the shortcomings as described above. The development of the extension ladder attachment is such a solution.